#21
Cole's POV
I step out of the shower and wrap a towel around my waist, ensuring it is tucked in.
"I'm going to grab us some clothes" I tell Madelyn.
She had stopped crying for a bit, but I could see the tears starting to well in her eyes again.
She nodded in response.
I leave the bathroom in my towel and walk out by Chris and Cara.
"How is she?" Cara asks.
"She's crying. So I think that's good" I say to Cara and Chris.
"She's crying after seeing you naked? Maybe she's crying for another reason." Cara says and Chris snorts.
"For your information, she started crying before she saw me naked." I reply.
"Okay quit talking about being naked with my sister and just grab some clothes." Chris says.
"Oh yeah" I walk over to my bag and pull out some socks, underwear, and sweats. I then make my way over to Madelyn's bag and realize I have no clue what she wants to wear, "Hey Cara-", before I can even finish my sentence, Cara is by my side and rummaging through Maddie's bag. After a bit she hands me a handful of clothes. "Thanks".
I take the clothes back to the bathroom and we dress in silence.
"You ready?" I ask her.
She nods her head, her eyes puffy.
"Okay" I mutter before pulling the bathroom door open. The cool air hits my skin as I usher Maddie out of the bathroom.
"Hey" Cara says to us, mostly to Maddie, "How are you feeling?"
"I'm fine" Madelyn lies to all of us.
All of our eyes widen, hoping that she hasn't gone back into her trance.
"How do you actually feel?" Cara rephrases.
"Like someone stabbed a butchers knife right through my chest" She responds.
I watch as the relief washes over Cara and Chris's faces.
"Do you want something to eat?" Chris asks.
"I'm not hungry"
"Okay" He responds, more than likely not wanting to push her.
Madelyn is such an empathetic person, she feels everything on different level than everyone else. It's almost as if she feels her own grief as well as everyone else's.
"I think I'm going to go to bed" Madelyn announces to everyone.
Madelyn crawls into bed and I shoot Cara a look. Cara gets up from her seat shortly after and crawls into bed next to Madelyn.
I take Cara's spot at the table next to Chris.
"How are you handling all of this?" I ask him.
"Fine I guess. I really don't remember much of my father, and just knowing that he could've stopped Madelyn from going through so much makes me mad. But at the end of the day, he's my father. So I'm hurting a little. But I think we should focus on Madelyn."
I nod in agreement, "Losing a parent is never easy, no matter how much you think that you hate them."
Chris doesn't pry at my statement.
***
I'm awoken by someone knocking at our hotel door. I groggily get out of bed, assuming that no one else is going to do it. I turn the doorknob and pull out door open to a man wearing a black suit and holding a manila envelope.
"Can I help you?" I ask.
"I am looking for Madelyn Foster"
"She's sleeping right now. She just lost her father so I don't think now is the time" I respond.
"Well I lost my father too" Hazel says before stepping out from behind the man, a backpack slung on her back.
"Hazel?" I question, more to myself that anyone else.
"Madelyn is due for court tomorrow and I must hand the envelope directly to her"
"Court?" I question, "for what?"
"I am unable to discuss that with you"
"Hold on a second, I'll get her.", I walk away from the door and to Madelyn, seeing Cara already awake in their bed. I lightly shake her shoulder until she pops her head up. "There is someone at the door for you", I tell her before helping her out of bed and to the door.
"Madelyn Foster" the man in the suit says.
"Yes?" she replies, half asleep.
He slightly bows and hands her the envelope, "You are in temporary custody of Hazel Foster until tomorrow." He tells her before leaving.
She sees Hazel and immediately wakes up, her eyes pricking with tears.
"Hazel?" she says, crouching down slightly and holds her arms out to her. Hazel steps into her arms and they hold each other. "I'm sorry I couldn't save him"
"It's okay. I know that you tried." Hazel pulls out of the hug and reaches to grab something off of the floor, and lifts up an urn. "He didn't want us to have to deal with a funeral."
Madelyn nods her head.
They both stand fully and walk into the hotel room, letting the door shut behind them.
"What's in the vase?" Chris asks.
"Uh, your father" I respond, trying not to say it too loud.
***
Madelyn's POV
"So he left all parental rights of Hazel to you?" Chris asks.
"I guess so" I respond as I continue to read through the legal documents in the envelope, "As well as the money from selling his house"
"What?" Chris asks.
"Well that's for all three of us to split" I respond, "How does he expect me to take care of a child while being a college student?" I ask rhetorically.
"Well I have no other family." Hazel responds, "But I promise I'll behave, just please don't put me in the system"
"I promise I won't" I respond, knowing how awful it feels to have to be put in the system.
She gives me a side hug from her seated position.
"It also says he wants his ashes spread at London Bridge Beach" I say the place in a higher tone, insinuating that I have no clue where that is.
"Why there?" Chris asks.
I shrug.
"Before my mom died we had a cabin there and would go almost every weekend in the summer. We couldn't afford to keep it once she died"
***
We all squeeze into one king sized bed, I'm wedged between Cole and Hazel, with Cara on the other side of Hazel and Chris on the other side of Cole.
"What should we watch?" Cole asks as he flicks through movies on the TV.
"High School Musical?" Hazel suggests.
"Ooo yeah, High School Musical"
"Okay" He responds for clicking 'play'.
"Wait, we need popcorn" Cara announces before hopping off of the bed and going to the microwave. She places a bag in there and started it. The noise of the popcorn popping sounds while the beginning of the first movie starts.
After the popcorn is done, Cara opens a bag and tosses the piece in the air before catching it in her mouth.
I turn to Cole and smile. Remembering that night in his apartment.
Cole notices me and smiles without turning his head. "Why are you smiling?" he whispers.
"No reason"
He nods towards Cara, silently asking if it was what she did.
I nod.
"I swear I've gotten better, I've been practicing"
"You've been practicing?" I ask him, surprised.
"Well yeah, I wants to impress you with my skills"
"Being able to catch a piece of popcorn in your mouth is so impressive" I say sarcastically.
"Right?" He replies with the same level of sarcasm.
"Cara" I say, grabbing her attention, "toss one to Cole"
She tosses one in the air and Cole tries to anticipate where it's going to be. But it bounces off his cheek and onto the bed.
He looks to me and I raise my eyebrows.
"It's because I'm sitting" he defends before moving to get off of the bed. "Hit me" he says once he's in his stance.
Cara tosses another piece to him and once more bounces before landing on the floor.
I start clapping and cheering, "wooo, nice catch" I say jokingly.
He rolls his eyes, "I'd like to see you try"
"Okay" I respond, crawling out of bed and standing beside him. I place the back of my hand on his stomach, "watch how it's done". I do my best to ignore the feeling of his hard stomach against my hand. Needing to focus on the topic at hand. I nod to Cara.
She tossed the piece of popcorn in the air. I bend my knees to get a better angle and it sails into my mouth.
I throw my hands in the air in victory.
"You're just really good at this" Cole says.
"You know, I thought you'd be better considering you play soccer"
"Yeah Maddie, because I always catch the ball with my mouth"
"But-" I give up trying to explain myself, realizing it doesn't make a lot of sense.
"Let me try" Chris says, hopping out of bed. He stands next to me and I move to make sure I'm out of his way.
Cara tosses the popcorn and Chris catches it with ease.
"Let me guess, you can do it too" Cole says to Hazel.
"Cara" is all Hazel says before Cara tosses the piece and she catches it. Without getting out of bed.
"Oh come on" Cole says, "let me try again"
Cara throws another piece of popcorn, making sure to toss it high enough. The piece bounces off of his face before landing on the carpeted floor. "That's fine, at least I can do other things with my mouth" Cole says, "maybe I can show you sometime". He taps my upper arm with the back of his hand.
My face starts to feel hot as the blood rushes to it.
"Okayyy" Cara says.
"Gross" Chris says.
"I meant like roll my tongue" Cole says over everyone else.
"Suuurree" Chris lets out.
Chris and Cara overlap each other's voices exclaiming how grossed out they are and how there is a child in the room.
"I think I'm gonna go to the bathroom" I says as I start walk towards our bathroom.
"Need some help" Cole says and starts following behind me.
I quickly turn around and place my hand on his chest, halting him. I feel his taut muscles before quickly pulling my hand away. I clear my throat and look at my toes. "No, I th- I think I'm good"
"You sure?" He asks.
I nod my head and bring my eyes up to his. I suck my bottom lip between my teeth and a Cole's eyes dart to the action. I immediately release my lip and turn to go back to the bathroom, noticing all eyes on me.
***
After actually watching the first movie, we watched the other two. Everyone fell asleep halfway through the third movie. Everyone but me.
I'm too consumed by my thoughts to sleep.
I pull out my phone and dial a number. I hold it up to my ear and listen to the ringing.
"Hello?" She answers after a couple rings.
"Hey mom" I respond, whispering.
***
"All you have to do is sign this piece of paper and you will legally be Hazel Foster's guardian" the judge tells me.
I take a deep breath and grab the pen, my hand shaking. I do my best to keep a steady hand as I sign the spots the judge told me to sign.
"Congratulations" She says to me as I slide the paper towards her.
"Thank you" I respond.
***
We all walk towards the water of the beach, hearts heavy.
"We're going to stay back here" Cara tells Chris, Hazel, and I. Referring to her and Cole.
As we near the waters edge, I drop to my knees. I place the urn on the sand and begin to dig a hole. My siblings follow suit. We dig until the dry sand turns wet.
"I think that's good" Chris days before stopping.
Out of the corner of my eye I can see tears dreaming down Hazel's cheeks, causing my to follow shortly after.
I lift the lid off of the urn and all three of us grab ahold of it.
I nod. Hearing what he says, but not comprehending it.
Together, we dump the entirety of the urn into the whole and cover it with sand. The water comes up and grabs some of the sand and ashes.
"Goodbye dad"
***
A/N
*** PLEASE READ***
I've been having some writers block about what should happen in like the next couple chapters and I need some ideas. However, I have so many ideas for after that and already have a lot written. Sooo... if you direct message me and give me an idea to write about, I will answer one yes or no question about the future of this story.
Thank you so much for reading!